Golf swing aid



Oct. 31, 1967 F. M. BISHOP ETAL 3,350,101

GOLF SWING AID Filed Oct. 16, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 W/LL//V/ A. #060480,50) 5/67/08 AP.

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Oct. 31, 1967 F. M. BISHOP ETAL 3,350,101

GOLF SWING AID Filed Oct. 16, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 3.

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United States Patent 3,350,101 GOLF SWING AID Forest M. Bishop and RoyI. Bishop, Jr., Olympia, Wash.

(both of 160 Van Geisen, Apt. 103, Richland, Wash.

99352), and William L. Howard, 2609 W. Albany, Kennewick, Wash. 99336Filed Oct. 16, 1964, Ser. No. 404,274

' Claims. (Cl. 273-186) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A golf swing practicedevice comprising a pad having a tee area and a simulated captive ballmember therein, a curved line representing the ground trace of the swingof the club extending to said tee area and a resilient upright memberwound on a reel for vertical adjustment located along said line andrepresenting a vertical point on the swing path of said club.

This invention relates to a golf swing aid, and in particular to adevice for marking the swing path of a golf club, whereby a player maycheck his movements, and improve his stance and swing.

It is therefore a general object of the invention to provide a devicefor improving golf play. More particularly, it is an object to provide aphysical representation of a coordinate point in the three-dimensionalpath of swing of a golf club. In still greater particular it is anobject to provide a practice station for golfers having a movableupright to mark a swing path. Yet another object is to provide anupright as aforesaid, which is resiliently bendable, and also adjustablein height. A still further object is to provide a station as aforesaid,having a fixed, resilient, simulation of a ball.

These and other objects, which will be apparent, are attained by thepresent invention, a preferred form of which is described in thefollowing specification, as illustrated in the drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective, front view of the practice device in use,

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the practice pad, as viewed during use,by the user,

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view, taken on the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2,

FIGURE 4 is a detail from FIGURE 3, enlarged in scale,

FIGURE 5 is an end elevational view of the detail shown in FIGURE 4, asseen from the right of that figure,

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view taken on the plane of the line 66 of FIGURE5,

FIGURE 7 is a sectional view of a detail, enlarged in scale, taken onthe line 77 of FIGURE 3, and showing the simulated ball,

FIGURE 8 is a sectional view taken on the plane of the line 88 of FIGURE7,

FIGURE 9 is a fragmentary view showing a portion of the pad, enlarged inscale, which includes a horizontal trace of the swing path,

FIGURE 10 is a sectional view taken on the plane of the line 10-10 ofFIGURE 9, and

FIGURE 11 is a fragmentary view of a portion of FIGURE 2, enlarged inscale.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference there is shown, inFIGURE 2, a pad of plywood or other suitable material, comprising arectangular section 10, foldably attached, by hinges 12, to an extension14, of roughly kidney form, arranged in general conformity with thehorizontal trace of the swing path of a golf club, as related to a ball,or equivalent, located within the rectangle 16 in the forward part ofsection 10. As seen in FIGURES 7 and 8, the object serving as a balltarget is a rectangular slab 18, of rubbery material, received through asuitable slot in the section 10, and having an integral, base flange 20,received in a suitable niche or recess in the underside of section 10.To simulate the illusion of an actual ball, a circle 22 is-inscribed onthe pad, in encircling relation to the slab 18.

The horizontal trace of the swing path of the club is made manifest by afamily of three, curved lines 24, 25, 28, generally conforming to thehook portion of hinged section 14, and converging to a meeting point atthe ballsimulating slab 18. This convergence constitutes a visual aid incontacting the target slab 18. In addition to the curved, horizontalprojection of the swing path, the increments of swing also have verticalcomponents, resulting in a more or less helical path, about the body ofthe player, as an axis, and the invention contemplates the location ofguide points, adjustable vertically, for location along the actual swingpath. Thus, there is provided a yieldable, upright strip, 30, receivablein spirally wound form on a spool 32, to which its inner end isanchored, the spool being journalled in a casing 34. The precisestructure of the extensible unit, per se, is not claimed to be novel,and an ordinary extensible scale may be used for this purpose. In anycase, the extensible ribbon 30 is preferably bowed transversely, so asto resist bending under relatively light loads, and thus stand up.

In order to arrange for adjustable positioning of the casing 34 alongthe swing path, the casing is provided on its bottom with a magneticplate 36, which is positionable, selectively, on one of threeelliptical, steel plates, 38, 40, 42, secured in suitable niches in theboard sections 10, 14, by screws 44, and arranged with their major axestransverse to the path trace curves 24, 26, 28. Obviously, the height ofribbon 30 will increase as the distance from the ball increases.

For convenience in positioning the operator, the pad section 10 has asquare section 46, stepped off in a square gridwork, the individualgrids of which, as shown in FIGURE 11, are given numerical values sothat, once determined, a players most favorable position, or stance, maybe reproduced. In particular, as shown in FIGURE 11, the coordinates ofthe square grid are based on a line 48, through the ball 18, with thenumbers, representing inches from, and on each side of the ball,increasing in the downward direction, and increasing in each sidedirection away from the base line 48.

In use, the casing 34 is spotted on one of the elliptical plates, inparticular middle plate 40' as shown in the drawing, and the ribbon 30extended tentatively to a height intended to correspond with the swingpath of the club. The correctness of this setting can be checkedimmediately by taking a stance, and drawing the club in the back swing.Preferably the guide will be set so that it is barely grazed in the backswing, and an index of marksmanship and follow-through technique will beevidenced by a contact of like degree on the return stroke. Theseeffects will be easily detected by the audible results, so that it ispossible for the operator to keep his eye on-the ball, as he should,during the entire swing. It may be found necessary for the operator tomove about before he finds the most favorable standing position, andadjustment of the upright must be made accordingly. Once the standingposition is determined, the swing may be practiced with the upright 30in any one of the three positions. Obviously, provision may be made formore than three such positions.

The flexibility of ribbon 30 is such that little or no damage theretowill occur, and the magnetic attachment being releasable, will providean added degree of protection. During the early practice swings theupright ribbon is adjusted, as needed, until the contacted area of theribbon is minimized.

The hinged feature on the pad makes for easier storage andtransportation.

While a certain, preferred embodiment has been shown and described,various modifications will be apparent, in the light of this disclosure,and the invention should not, therefore, be deemed as limited, exceptinsofar as shall appear from the spirit and scope of the appendedclaims.

We claim:

1. A golf swing practice device comprising a pad having a ball tee area,a curved line representing the ground trace of the swing of a club tosaid area, and an upright member located along said line andrepresenting a point on the swing of the path of said club, said uprightmember being wound on a reel, for adjustment vertically.

2. A golf swing practice device comprising a pad having a ball tee area,a curved line representing the ground trace of the swing of a club tosaid area, and an upright member located along said line andrepresenting a point on the swing of the path of said club, said curvedline being in triplicate, converging to a meeting point in said area,and said area having a captive simulation of a ball, said simulationbeing a rectangle of rubbery material, said upright member being woundon a reel, for adjustment vertically.

3. A golf swing practice device comprising a pad having a ball tee area,a curved line representing the ground trace of the swing of a club tosaid area, and an upright member located along said line andrepresenting a point on the swing of the path of said club, said curvedline being in triplicate, converging to a meeting point in said area,and said area having a captive simulation of a ball, and said simulationbeing a rectangle of rubbery material, said upright member being woundon a reel, for adjustment vertically, said pad having a square gridworkof lines for defining a standing position of a player.

4. A golf swing practice device comprising a pad having a ball tee area,a curved line representing the ground trace of the swing of a club tosaid area, and an upright member located along said line andrepresenting a point on the swing of the path of said club, said curvedline being in triplicate, converging to a meeting point in said area,and said area having a captive simulation of a ball, and said simulationbeing a rectangle of rubbery material, said upright member being woundon a reel, for adjustment vertically, said pad having a square gridworkof lines for defining a standing position of a player, and magneticmeans securing said upright member to said pad.

5. A golf swing practice device comprising a pad having a ball tee area,a curved line representing the ground trace of the swing of a club tosaid area, and an upright member located along said line andrepresenting a point on the swing of the path of said club, said curvedline being in triplicate, converging to a meeting point in said area,and said area having a captive simulation of a ball, and said simulationbeing a rectangle of rubbery material, said upright member being woundon a reel, for adjustment vertically, said pad having a square gridworkof lines for defining a standing position of a player, and magneticmeans securing said upright member to said pad, said magnetic meansincluding steel inserts in said pad across said curved line.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,427,538 8/1922 Long 273-1'861,596,919 8/1926 Burgoyne et a1. 273186 1,819,896 8/1931 Irish 2731832,862,714 12/1958 Smith 2,73 X 2,941,808 6/1960 Smith et a1. 273-1873,224,772 12/1965 Wells et al 46241 X FOREIGN PATENTS 383,767 11/1932Great Britain.

RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner.

1. A GOLF SWING PRACTICE DEVICE COMPRISING A PAD HAVING A BALL TEE AREA,A CURVED LINE REPRESENTING THE GROUND TRACE OF THE SWING OF A CLUB TOSAID AREA, AND AN UPRIGHT MEMBER LOCATED ALONG SAID LINE ANDREPRESENTING A POINT ON THE SWING OF THE PATH OF SAID CLUB, SAID UPRIGHTMEMBER BEING WOUND ON A REEL, FOR ADJUSTMENT VERTICALLY.